A group of local parents formed Let’s Speak Up to educate, empower and advocate for the safety and well-being of students. In the wake of Larry Nasser’s monstrous assaults on children and worse yet, the failure of the adults to protect them, it is evident that the entire system failed to defend the most vulnerable among us, children.  Let’s Speak Up developed a proprietary web-based application to enable students and parents to report abuse, bullying, and other issues that harm children. Let’s Speak Up joins the #metoo #neveragain #timesup movements to say Enough is Enough!
“No one should be afraid to speak up when children are bullied and violated,” said Lea Wolf, co-founder of Let’s Speak Up.  “We need to empower children and become their voice when needed, so issues are resolved immediately and constructively.”
The application is designed to allow individuals to file complaints in a manner that best fits their needs: anonymous, confidential or public. The application is also enabled to notify parents and students if there are similar complaints and custom reporting features highlight repeat offenders. Learn more about the application and how it works at https://letsspeakup.org/file-a-complaint/.
 Most organizations have well-defined policies and procedures regarding bullying, assault, and other inappropriate behaviors. However, these policies and guidelines are not always enforced. Administrators often dismiss or trivialize complaints from students and when parents attempt to resolve the issue, they are ignored, attacked, shamed, and/or silenced. Parents fear of retaliation and retribution causes them to back off. And finally, if the offense reoccurs, the impact of the situation is exacerbated, and the victim feels more powerless and helpless.
Unresolved complaints and repeated abuse infuse fear and anxiety causing social isolation and emotional distress. These consequences have devastating short and long-term effects on students. In the short-term, students lose trust in adults, become isolated and confused about their values, feel powerless, and even enraged. These consequences often result in low self-esteem and other problems which can extend into adulthood.  Long-term impacts are more severe affecting intimacy, friendships, and relationships at work. Let’s Speak Up is a student-centric organization established to help individuals access resources and tools to navigate the educational and governmental systems.
In addition, Let’s Speak Up can act as a de facto voice for students and parents who fear retribution and retaliation.
Let’s Speak Up is a collaborative effort bringing communities together to focus on the safety and well-being of students. Let’s Speak Up is looking for volunteers including community partners, experts, professionals, students, resources, and anyone who cares about keeping children safe and happy. Learn more about how to get involved and volunteer opportunities at https://letsspeakup.org/volunteer/.
 
For more information, please visit www.letsspeakup.org
Contact:
Lea Wolf, Co-founder Let’s Speak Up  Lea@letsspeakup.org